Happy [redacted] Birthday to my Mom!

Please enjoy these photos of my Mom before she makes me take them down!

Today is her [redacted] birthday, and I selfishly want to share with you some of the photographic evidence of her sustaining love and support throughout my life. Luckily I look a lot like her, or you might doubt how a quiet and self-effacing woman could raise such a loudmouth, or how an incredibly creative artisan could raise someone who can’t knit a scarf in a straight line, or how a talented musician could raise someone who can’t sing or play a note.

I’ve probably told this story on this blog before, but one of the crucial lessons she taught me was when I was about 6 and a neighbor kid was trying to scare me with a snake he had caught. Mom pointed out that all he wanted was a reaction, and if I laughed, he’d go away. I did, and he did, and thus I received my first lesson in dealing with corporate defense counsel!

She tolerated my insufferable picky eating, and eventually taught me to enjoy food from around the world. One of our continuing joys is visiting and finding new and interesting restaurants in DC, Denver, or other destinations.

She was an important part of making me the proud nerd that I am today, reading to us and teaching us throughout our kidhood, and storming the high school and eventually taking over the English Lit education of a handful of us when the school persisted in thinking 10th graders didn’t need to read literature. She initially thought a linguistics major was impractical, but I’m pretty sure she’s glad I can appreciate her bilingual puns and other language nerd jokes.

Possibly because she grew up as a Jewish girl in largely Christian/WASP DC, she taught us to be proud of our mixed heritage and to be open to those of others. I have never, ever, known her to show prejudice to any group or person — a statement few of any age can make.

Also I got to meet Mstislav Rostropovich — in our very own living room!

Ultimately, she taught me to be independent and was the home I came home to after my independent adventures.

Happy Birthday, Mom, and so much love. And onward to more travel, adventures, reading, creativity, and excellent restaurants.

Image: Mom in 2016 standing in front of a leafy background, wearing a patterned black shirt and black pants.

Mom at my niece Petra Robertson’s graduation, 2016.

Image: two women sitting at a restaurant table. Mom on the right in a sweater and t-shirt; Laura Rovner on the left, a younger woman with long black hair and glasses.

Mom with Laura Rovner in Boston last week.

Image: three people in front of a gothic-looking building: an man with white hair and beard in a suit and tie; younger man in a tie and red graduation gown; and Mom in a crocheted shirt with a black shirt underneath.

Step-father David North, nephew Christian Robertson, and Mom at Christian’s high school graduation in 2012.

Image: four people, all white: young woman with long brown hair; slightly older woman (me), with salt and pepper hair and a green shirt; Mom in black shirt and patterned shawl, and older man (David) in a suit and tie.

Rebecca Smullin, me, Mom, and David at the Impact Fund, 2007.

Image: six people, all white posed sitting on a lawn: older man, white hair & beard; young woman in a pink t-shirt holding a toddler with a plush animal in her lap; young boy in t-shirt also with beanie baby toy, man wearing ball cap and beige polo shirt, and mom, in a white t-shirt and khakis.

David, sister-in-law Terri Robertson (holding Petra), Christian, brother Bruce Robertson, Mom in Boston ca. 2001.

Image: four people, all white, posed in front of a house: woman with gray hair in green t-shirt; woman with brown/gray hair and glasses and green dress; man with white hair an beard in blue shirt; younger man with brown hair in white shirt and striped pants with red suspenders.

Aunt Miriam Grabois, Mom, David, cousin Adam Grabois in Boston ca. 2000.

Image: two women, both white, sitting on the sofa. Me with short brown hair and glasses wearing a knit vest and khakis; Mom with short brown/gray hair and glasses wearing a green sweater.

Mom and me on the sofa at Mom’s house.

Image: four people, all white, posed on the patio in back of a brick house - man with blond hair in dark sweater using a wheelchair, woman in pink t-shirt, older (balding) man sitting in lawn chair wearing light blue shirt; me with an uncharacteristic pony tail wearing a brown sweatshirt and jeans.

Tim, Mom, grandfather Clarence Blau, and me, ca 1994.

Image: two white women in party dresses, one with straight brown hair and glasses, the other with curly hair; both holding white roses.

The mothers-in-law: Mom and Nora Fox at our wedding.

Image: three white people sitting at a restaurant table; man in suit with glasses; younger man also in suit; woman (Mom) in black dress with gold-embroidered sleeves.

Dad, Bruce, and Mom ca 1990.

Image: 5 white people posing in front of a building. Mom (brown/gray hair and glasses in a white sweater); older man in suit and white fishing hat; me (short brown hair; graduation gown); younger man in spiked hair with sunglasses in a shirt and tie, and slightly older man in a suit and tie, also with sunglasses.

Mom, my grandfather Clen Robertson, me, Bruce, Dad at my law school graduation, 1988.

Image: three white people posed in front of a building; me (short brown hair, dark sweater, jeans); Mom (short dark hair, blazer, jeans); David (white hair & beard; blazer, knit vest, jeans).

Me, Mom, David in China ca. 1981

Image: white woman in shortsleeve red shirt holds a small white dog that is licking the face of a small boy in a blue sweatshirt and shorts with a camera around his neck.

Mom, Bruce and our dog, Jenny, 1970.

Image: three white people and a dog pose on the side of a boat: girl with ponytail wearing a blue t-shirt and red shorts; woman in red shirt and sunglasses; man with curly brown hair and beard in shortsleeve shirt and brown pants.

Me, Mom, Dad and Jenny on vacation ca. 1970.

Image: white woman & 2 white kids on tricycles posed on a driveway in front of a white station wagon.

Me, Mom, Bruce ca. 1964.

Image: White woman with brown hair in a blue dress squatting down to holdsa toy out to a white toddler in a white dress. They are on the sidewalk in front of a row of houses.

Mom and me, ca. 1961

And here’s the photo that proves we were really a Soviet spy family all along:

Nikita Khrushchev, Mom, Dad in 1959.

3 thoughts on “Happy [redacted] Birthday to my Mom!”

ramblingalongwithnora August 3, 2017 at 8:41 am

What a wonderful post and so many great pictures. You are part of a remarkable family

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Julia Gordon August 3, 2017 at 2:55 pm

I LOVE THIS POST! Happy bday to your mom. The Khruschev photo is priceless. BTW I too had the same weird triangular shaped dress when I was a toddler.

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